The Perils of not Taking Travel Insurance

When you are travelling to a foreign country where you are new to everything around you, dealing with any unforeseen circumstances can become troublesome. Every culture and every community has a different perspective on every situation.  It might be even more difficult to deal with emergency situations in a foreign land. We all are aware that medical expenses, hospitalization and emergency medical aid can be an expensive affair outside India.

When you are going on a trip in a relaxed mood, you would not want to deal with any incident that may put your travel plans at risk. Dealing with any emergency can certainly destabilize your overall budget. If you want to evade such a financial setback, you must get insured before you travel.

The importance of a travel insurance policy can be easily underlined in the following situations-

Situation 1

Imagine you are visiting your son in some European or American country. It has been quite hectic for you as there has been a lot of travelling and you have been consuming a lot of calories. During the vacation, you experience some uneasiness in your chest, you perspire a lot, and suddenly you are out of breath. It possibly was a heart attack and as soon as you realize that, you take medical aid. Post that, you undergo certain medical tests, followed by angioplasty and this leads to a major financial setback, especially because it took place in those countries. This would also include the surgery expenses, post hospitalization expenses and emergency repatriation to get medical aid. Safe to say, all your savings are gone in a whiff.

But if you have a travel insurance policy in place, all the medical expenses would be borne by the insurance company. Why bear any unnecessary expense, if it can be waived off by taking an insurance policy before your trip?  There is no second thought about it, for sure!

Situation 2

You are travelling abroad to meet your family and friends. Though you’ve reached the destined airport, due to some uncertain reasons, your baggage hasn’t reached the airport. Now what? You will spend unnecessarily on daily essentials, and if you had some important travel documents in your luggage, then it’s a double whammy for you! But if you had a travel insurance policy in place, you would have been compensated for any loss and inconvenience.

These were the two most common situations which may hinder most trips. This would have given you an overview of what possibly would it cost to not have travel insurance handy.

Drawbacks of Not Taking Travel Insurance

Flight Cancellation or Delay

Nothing can be more heart wrenching than the flight to your favourite destination getting delayed. But if you are insured, then you would be reimbursed for any flight delay of more than 12 hours than the actual departure time. You would also be compensated for any unplanned accommodation, which you have to take up due to the delay. 

Growing Medical Costs

You must be aware that any medical treatment in the West can wreak havoc on your entire bank balance. You will have to meet the entire medical expense and hospitalization costs on your own. Any medical care can turn out to be financially overwhelming for you. A travel insurance policy will ensure that you don’t have to bear the whole medical expense on your own.  Even the ambulance costs will be borne by the insurer.

Emergency Repatriation Costs

In case of a disastrous event like death, there might not be any support for repatriation or emergency medical evacuation.  This will involve a lot of time and financial efforts from your end. But if you have a travel insurance policy in place, then you will not need to worry about it. Your insurer will compensate you for the same. For example - you can buy Travel Insurance policy to get yourself covered from such exigencies.

Bear the Loss of Passport or Luggage

At any time during the trip if you lose your baggage and belongings, then you will have to bear the cost of acquiring a new passport and the cost of replacing your belongings. You will end up bearing the actual loss plus spend an extra amount to replace the same. If you are insured, then you will be indemnified for any such loss.

To Conclude!

Travelling overseas alone without getting individual travel insurance is not a great decision. You cannot enjoy a holiday with a callous attitude towards your own safety and well-being. With a travel insurance policy, you merely need to pay a small amount of premium, and you are set for your vacation ahead.